When I was invited to test-drive the “new generation” Mazda 6, I wondered what more it offered than Mazda Motor Corporation’s other models including 323, 626 and 929. One look and I was tempted to take a long drive to check whether its new midsize image matches with performance. Its bold and athletic face with predator head lamps, sculpted body surfaces emphasizing dynamic balance and wraparound tail lamps were all immediately appealing.
Once in the driver’s seat, I was impressed with the bright airy cabin, with class-leading shoulder and rear-seat knee room offering more space to stretch out. I found quality and craftsmanship evident in everything I saw.
Acceleration from standstill is brisk and reaches legal cruising speeds in seconds. Soon I realized that the steering, maneuvering turns and braking were responsive to my reflexes. Its predatory styling inspired me to drive. Once on the road, the car attracted the attention of occupants of other cars. Its head and tail lamp clusters share a related design concept to maintain visual harmony. The head lamp cluster features a low beam with projector lens, turn indicator, and high beam, all neatly housed under a sweeping cover. The tail lamps are similar but with a more concentric look and wrap into the side panels to preserve the flowing lines.
The Mazda 6 combines the features of a sports car while at the same time setting new standards in the global midsize vehicle market. This is a vehicle that combines the exciting handling of a sports machine with the luxurious ride comfort of a premium sedan. I found this unique combination of dynamic elegance and high tensile strength with an extremely well balanced suspension system adding to my driving pleasure.
The braking performance was superb. Mazda engineers employed advanced software and driver evaluation clinics to design a brake system for this car that delivered confident stopping under the widest variety of real-world braking situations.
The Mazda 6 I test-drove had a 2-liter all-aluminum 4-cylinder engine and its innovative power train makes it much more than a new midsize car platform. Its acceleration, both from a standing start and in passing, delivers a truly exhilarating drive. There is an optional 2.3-liter capacity aluminum unit. The engine drives the front wheels through a five-speed gearbox giving a confident sporty feel. This comes largely from the self-leveling suspension that has been designed to deliver robust yet predictable handling characteristics.
With 501 liters of usable space in the boot, thanks to a clever design that keeps the boot lid hinges out of the luggage space, it’s a practical car. When more space is required, the split folding rear seats open up a huge, booth-through luggage space. Inside, convenient storage spaces are close to hand. The smoothly contoured T-shaped instrument panel places controls and indicators in the optimum position for easy use. Its safety features include intrusion-minimizing brake pedal and dual-stage airbags.
This is the first new generation model in keeping with its new brand message “Zoom-Zoom,” which aims to recreate the fun-to-drive feeling of Mazda and its products. It expresses a fascination with motion experienced by a child playing with a toy car or riding a bike. What Mazda with its 82-year history has done is to convey this feeling and emotion in its products. “Zoom-Zoom” captures this feeling perfectly. If you still have that childlike fascination with motion then this car fits the bill.
The amazing car also amply justifies Mazda’s commitment to change and creating a new history for car owners and users. The car together with the birth of its new global brand strategy is a reflection of this change and also its claim that it is creating vehicles differently for the future.
No doubt, the new car stands true to Mazda’s boast that it is a new global benchmark in its class in terms of styling, performance, packaging and quality. It is exciting to look at, exciting to sit in and above all really exciting to drive. All the more, because it combines the best of today’s family car in comfort, convenience and safety, as well as the thrill and excitement of a sports car. In fact, this car is poised to create a new segment where the distinction between sports and sedan no longer exists. And as Ali Husein Alireza, general manager of Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd., which has been associated with Mazda in the Kingdom for 34 years, says its competitive price tag is value for money.
